Empty Chair Act or Ramayana 2.0

Atishi's optics leave BJP fuming over Kejriwal's phantom influence

Remember O Panneerselvam? The man who found himself shoved into the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's chair after Puratchi Thalaivi, the late J Jayalalithaa, was briefly jailed in a corruption case?

Much like a deer caught in headlights, he avoided sitting in Amma's chair like it was a seat reserved for the revered. Fast forward a few years, and it seems the North has finally caught on with the South's dramatic flair for empty chairs. This time, it is Delhi's turn, with newly-minted Chief Minister Atishi borrowing a leaf (or perhaps a sandal) from Ramayana. On day one of her reign, Atishi unveiled a move that was less "chief ministerial" and more like a Ramayana fanfiction come to life—a vacant chair right next to hers, kept in solemn honour of her predecessor, Arvind Kejriwal.

For those not up to speed, Kejriwal—channeling his inner tragic hero—stepped down from office after a corruption scandal.